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“Some bands you see and you just know. The Beatles were one. The Stones were one. AC/DC were one”: This is what Lemmy really thought of AC/DC and their legendary singer Bon Scott
Lemmy recalled recognising AC/DC’s potential immediately when he first saw them at a London pub, before they had achieved major commercial success. His assessment matters because it came from an experienced musician who had watched many bands emerge and fade, and because it highlights the early impact of the group’s live performance under singer Bon Scott.
He attended the show with a girl after hearing about the band, and remembered Scott racing around the stage while carrying guitarist Angus Young on his shoulders. Lemmy said it was already clear that AC/DC would become huge, despite their then modest status, and placed them alongside bands such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones as acts whose significance was instantly apparent.
In short
- Lemmy believed AC/DC’s greatness was obvious from the start.
- He first saw them in a London pub.
- Bon Scott and Angus Young’s antics made a lasting impression.
Explained simply
AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in the early 1970s by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. They became known for loud, direct guitar-based songs and energetic concerts, with Angus Young often performing in a school-uniform stage outfit.
Bon Scott was AC/DC’s lead singer during the period when the band built its early reputation in Australia and Britain. His distinctive voice and forceful stage presence helped define songs including Highway to Hell, before his death in 1980.
Lemmy was the singer and bassist of the British band Motörhead, and a prominent figure in hard rock and heavy metal. His recollection concerns a time when AC/DC were still playing small venues, before the worldwide success they later achieved with singer Brian Johnson.
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